Participation of several officials during the inauguration ceremony of Ismailia 1 which took place at ASY. Photo by Suez Canal Authority.
Several officials, including Alexandria Governor Ahmed Khaled, ASY’s Chairman Hossam Kotb, SCA Chairman Osama Rabie, and Egyptian Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ashraf Atwa, participated in the ceremony at ASY.
According to a statement by SCA on Tuesday, Ismailia 1 is the first of two identical rescue tugs being built under a contract between the SCA and ASY.
Each tug has a bollard pull capacity of 190 tons, measures 71.6 metres in length and 18.5 metres in width, has a draft of seven metres, and has a top speed of 16 knots.
Ismailia 1 is equipped with a Dynamic Positioning (DP) system for precise manoeuvring and a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system to reduce carbon emissions, aligning with the SCA’s “Green Canal” environmental strategy.
Ismailia 1 is the first of two identical rescue tugs built under an SCA and ASY contract.
ASY, founded in 1962 in Alexandria Port’s free zone, is affiliated with the Ministry of Defense and is a leading shipbuilder in Egypt and the Middle East.
It is known for constructing much of Egypt’s commercial fleet and its only domestically built oil rig.
According to Rabie, the SCA has added 30 tugboats with bollard pulls from 9 to 190 tons — its most significant fleet expansion in over 30 years.
He added that the launch aligns with Egypt’s national strategy to build a globally competitive maritime industrial base and reflects the success of strategic partnerships among national institutions.
Rabie also explained that the SCA has pursued this localization strategy through three parallel tracks: boosting internal shipbuilding capabilities, partnering with state institutions such as the Naval Industries Authority, and working with private firms like South Red Sea Shipyard.
Meanwhile, Kotb described the launch as a major achievement in Egypt’s push to localize heavy industry and committed to delivering the second tug, Ismailia 2, in the fourth quarter of 2025.
SCA Chairman Osama Rabie speaking at the inauguration ceremony.
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